Questions_&_Answers.pdf

Item # Question Answer

Section IV, Technical Requirements, states that the vendor should “produce draft meeting minutes within eight (8) business days” and the final copy within “five (5) business days”. Section V, Deliverables, states that the draft notes are due within 5 business days and “corrected minutes shall be due within three working days”. Actual practice has been delivery of the draft minutes within 8-10 business days and the final version within 5 business days. Please clarify the delivery time requirements for both the draft and the final copy.

The draft minutes are due 5 business days after the meeting. Final versions are due 5 business days after the next meeting (where the minutes are reviewed, commented on, and accepted by the committees).

The SOW indicates that this will be a “fixed-price contract” and Section VI, Proposals, asks for “a cost per meeting”. The bid package also includes a Pricing Template (Excel spreadsheet) which seems to be requesting an hourly rate for different services and for the vendors to estimate the quantity of hours required per year.

a. Would the agency consider removing the Pricing Template and having vendors simply submit a price per meeting?

If an offeror wishes to submit a price per meeting that is sufficient. Calculation of the total price will be based on the price per meeting times the maximum number of meets. DOHS will issue task orders for each meeting separately. The price for each meeting will be fixed.

b. If you retain the Pricing Template:

(i) How will the agency be able to make a fair comparison of pricing to determine reasonableness if each vendor is setting not only the unit price but also the estimated quantity?

The vendor should assume the maximum number of meetings as described in the SOW.

(ii) Can the agency explain how the “Hours per Year: 1920” at the top of the Pricing Template was determined?

This number is a typo, please disregard.

Please extend the bid due date to allow vendors adequate time to process and incorporate the Q&A This date cannot be extended

Questions & Answers

Solicitation # NIH-OLAO-OD3-RFP5161849